Religious Differences in Marriage

 Q:  I am a devout Catholic and my fiancé does not have any religious convictions.  We are very much in love, but religion is a problem for us.  Can we make a marriage work?

A:  The key to a successful marriage is how you handle your differences.  The easy part of a relationship is sharing the beliefs and interests you have in common.  Take a look at how you typically handle differences in other areas of your relationship.  Do you have a fairly good success rate in managing communication and achieving understanding with regard to other differences?  Religion can be a particularly sensitive area.  However, with mutual respect, communication, and some creative negotiations most differences can be accommodated.  Remember a critical factor is achieving understanding, not gaining agreement.  The problem you have described is not unusual.  You might want to discuss this issue with your priest or others in your church, who have had the same experience working with the same situation in their relationships.